Social exclusion - VET and higher education

Fran Ferrier and Sue North

Overview

• About the project

• Key concepts

• Policy developments

• Measuring social exclusion

A stocktake of social inclusion in VET and higher education

• The effects of social exclusion in VET and HE (e.g.on participation and completion)

– Who is affected?– How? Why?– How much?

• What can be done about it?

Progress

• Understanding what is social exclusion

• Exploring how social exclusion is measured

• Exploring the influence and use of the term and concepts in policy

What do people mean when they say ‘social exclusion’?

‘you could be forgiven for thinking that social exclusion is what happens to people who nobody will talk to at parties’. (ABC, Background Briefing 1999)

a concept that is used in many parts of the world… to characterize contemporary forms of social disadvantage (wikipedia entry)

• No clear definition – lots of debate and disagreement

• Term arose in France in 1970s

• Developed separately in UK – social policy researchers (under Thatcherism)

• Definition:– Social exclusion is a shorthand label for what

can happen when people or areas suffer from a combination of linked problems, such as unemployment, poor skills, low incomes, poor housing, high crime environments, bad health and family breakdown.(Social Exclusion Unit, UK)

• Response:– This fails to identify what it is that happens

(Levitas 2006)

• Definition:– An individual is socially excluded if he or she does not

participate to a reasonable degree over time in certain activities of his or her society, and (a) this is for reasons beyond his or her control, and (b) he or she would like to participate (Burchardt 2000).

• Response: – This definition leaves open the issue of how the scope of those

‘certain activities’ whose enforced absence constitutes exclusion is established. It also suffers from the fact that there are many activities which satisfy conditions (a) and (b) but do not represent any form of social exclusion. To give an example, the fact that I was not selected to play in the recent NSW State of Origin team despite my availability and willingness (indeed, eagerness!) to play is not an example of social exclusion that has any relevance for social policy (except possibly for public health, but that is another matter!). (Saunders 2003)

Confusion: ‘social exclusion’, ‘poverty’ and ‘deprivation’

• Poverty – Also many definitions and lots of debate. • Often referred to as a lack of access to resources that is

sustained over time, but some definitions incorporate aspects of social exclusion (e.g. access to services).

• Deprivation – caused by poverty.• Social exclusion can be both a cause and a consequence

of poverty and deprivation, and overlaps them both.

‘It is far easier to give a sense of the principal concerns of social exclusion and how they differ from notions of resource poverty than it is to give a precise meaning to the term.’ (Saunders 2003)

An illustration of social exclusion

WELLBEING

Social,Economic, Health, etc

Services and resources

Activities

Opportunities

Social networks

Is ‘social exclusion’ a useful concept?

• Social policy researchers:– Draws attention to the social aspects and

consequences of poverty– Gives a stronger emphasis to the multiplicity

of factors that contribute to disadvantage and to the need for ‘joined up’ initiatives to address them

– Applies to groups, not just individuals

A useful concept for policy

• A framework for organising multiple initiatives

• A broader focus than ‘poverty’

• Supports ‘place-based’ initiatives

Policy development

• UK – from 1997 (Blair)

• Europe

• Australia – more recent– Welfare to work (Howard government)– South Australia– Rudd government

• Overall goal: to move from social exclusion to social inclusion

• Development of specific objectives and ways of measuring progress toward their achievement

• Development of central bodies to co-ordinate action across multiple contexts

• Multiple initiatives, many involving partnerships between governments, private sector and community sector

Where does education and training fit?

• Low levels of education and skills are both a cause and consequence of social exclusion– Cause e.g. can lead to poorer experiences in

labour market that lead to SE– Consequence e.g. can cut off people from

opportunities

Education in SI policy

• School achievement (esp literacy and numeracy) and retention (esp early school leavers)

• (more recently) skills for employment (FE in UK)

• Little to no attention on higher education

Measuring social exclusion

• Development of indicators

• What indicators are being used?

• Where have they been used?

Development of indicators• From surveys that asked people what they

considered to be the essentials of life

• UK – from the PSE Survey

Items and activities stated as necessary

• Australia – work done by Peter Saunders Items defined as ‘no-one in Australia should have to go without’

Medical treatment Heating for living areas

Warm clothes/bedding if cold Beds for everyone

At least one good meal/day A damp-free home

Purchase prescribed meds 3 meals/day for kids

Dental treatment if needed 2 meals/day for adults

A decent and secure home Fridge

Children can participate in school activities and outings

Warm waterproof coat

Yearly dental check for kids Fresh fruit

Hobby/leisure activity for kids Toys for children

Regular social contact House in decent state

What indicators are being used?European Union• At-risk-of poverty rate• At-risk-of-poverty threshold• Income quintile• Persistent at-risk-of-poverty rate• Relative median poverty risk gap• Regional cohesion• Long term unemployment rate• Population living in jobless households• Early school leavers not in education or training• Life expectancy

UK - PSE Survey

• Income• Children: household income and

employment; health; school attainment

• Young adults: qualifications; income and employment; crime; health

• Working-age adults 25+: income and employment; disabilities; health

• Older people: income; health; social services

• Communities: crime; transport; services; polarisation of income and housing tenure

Australia – ABS MAP• 4 dimension of progress

• Individuals: health; education and training; work; culture and leisure

• The Economy: national income and wealth; economic hardship; housing; productivity

• Living Together: family, community and social cohesion; crime; democracy, governance and citizenship; communication; transport

Others using social inclusion indicators• SPRC• NATSEM • Melbourne Institute • Common indicators

EmploymentIncome

• Indicators used by someHealthEducationHousing and community servicesSocial connections and cohesion

Dropping off the edge

• Social Distress

• Health

• Community Safety

• Economic

• Education

Tony Vinson

Postcode Year 12

Year 11

Year 10

Year 9

Year 8

3595 13.27 11.45 15.45 10.36 17.09

3465 19.35 11.80 18.33 10.84 12.26

3032 47.22 8.03 7.81 3.45 6.52

All VIC 35.53 11.13 12.79 5.84 6.77

Highest year of schooling

Next stages of the research

1. Statistical analysis will explore the relationship between disadvantage and the completion of VET and higher education qualifications: – Development of a set of indicators that

illustrate and explain the relationship between social exclusion and the completion of VET and higher education qualifications.

– Results will be analysed by geographical region, age and gender.

2. Development of recommendations for action for social inclusion, based on:

• Findings of statistical analysis

• Investigations of policies and strategies, previous studies etc